


Running Backwards

by blingyeol



Category: SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-08
Updated: 2012-01-08
Packaged: 2018-02-09 12:52:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1983690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blingyeol/pseuds/blingyeol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For them the life is going forward way too fast and so they try to slow it down. A holiday in Prague was meant to get them a deserved rest and to be together a bit more. But wherever they go, they end up running. Sometimes in a slightly happier way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Running Backwards

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kasayu](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=kasayu).



  
[](http://pics.livejournal.com/irethsingollo/pic/00021dg5/)   


 

Mid-winter sun hazily shined through the dark snow-clouds just a few centimeters above the buildings lined along the river. Jonghyun stood there, leaning onto the low balustrade. Music could be heard from somewhere. It wasn't a classical instrumental sort of music that would sketch in the city's ancient atmosphere, yet it somehow managed to enliven the street. His eyes wandered through the moving waters beneath him up to the Charles's Bridge on his right. The old bridge was crowded with tourists, despite the rather hostile weather.

The view was breath-taking, but soon he felt frozen onto the cold stone and was forced to start moving. Letting out a cloud-shaped transparent vapour as he breathed out, Jonghyun set out. His footsteps copied the balustrade, walking slowly alongside the river. Sun behind his back, sky in front of him already gaining lighter shades here and there. Just as he wandered through the unfamiliar city, his thoughts wandered into the most curious places in his burdened mind.

As a five years old boy that knew nothing of the outside world, he used to pretend to run away from home. While occupying the playground, he would hide himself a bit further away from the place, where no one could see him. And there he pretended to be an orphan kid living in the streets, all of that happening mostly in his mind. It felt a bit like that right now. He has escaped from everyone, yet he knew it's just a play.

With each step his heart became more and more calm and his eyes ceased to see the landscape around him. Instead all of the things bothering him spread out all over his vision. Their parents getting divorced, separating both him and his sister. His grades dropping dramatically and the finals getting dreadfully closer every second. His father who doesn't really care about Jonghyun's problems but still has high expectations of him.

“Naturally you will go your father's way, just like I did,” would the old man answer if they were talking about Jonghyun's future. He couldn't really say anything against that.

Songdam-noona, the only member in his family that was a realist rather than an idealist sometimes made him feel even worse. “With such grades you won't even get into a second rank university.”

Jonghyun sneered at the vision of his sister's frowned face. He could do better at studying. It's not like he was stupid or something, he just didn't give it his all. Either there was always something more important than sitting with head buried into a book or his mood played pranks on him. When sudden sadness, discomfort or grumpiness took over Kim Jonghyun, he was basically unusable. You couldn't call it depression, rather mood swings. Just like weather changes unpredictably, Jonghyun's feelings got stirred by the smallest things.

This holiday in Prague was supposed to be a rest from all the work that is currently burdening the young students' shoulders. At first it seemed like a good idea to fly far away from home. But his mind traveled with him, making sure that he doesn't forget and relax. Walking alone was a bit better.

After a while he became bored, though. Another of the mood swings probably. Thoughts that just won't stop crossing his mind made him tired and fed up. And he knew of a good medicine for that.

 

Jinki lifted up the blanket, making a ridiculously surprised face when he found nothing underneath.

Somewhere behind him Kibum snorted. “Oh please say that you were not expecting Jonghyun to be hiding under there.”

“Of course not,” said Jinki in a persuasively serious way, “how could I be that stupid?” Shooting a death glare towards Kibum made the other boy smirk. “So, have you searched the wardrobe?”

Only irresolutely lingering by the door so far, Taemin stepped out to open up the creaky wardrobe in the hall.

“Oh please, Taem...” It was making Kibum feel half amused half annoyed by their stupid little jokes that he couldn't really appreciate right now. Even though his mind did all the job of reasoning out what could have happened and none of the reasonable answers were anything terrifying, his heart thought otherwise.

Kibum stood up, leaving both boys behind and passing Minho standing in the bathroom. He managed to grab his jacket and boots on the way, probably making everyone in the room surprised. When the door clicked behind his back, he breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't even know how long has it been since Jonghyun disappeared from the hostel. There was no reception desk and therefore no personnel to tell them that. Half an hour was remaining until their professors gather them in front of the building. If he doesn't return by that time, a real problem will arise.

Worried as he was, Kibum also knew his boyfriend well enough to predict what's he going to do. His hand reached down his pocket to take out his cellphone. A key shaped locket swung through his fingers as he turned it up and down. It's just a question of time. And there's still that half an hour left.

 

Jonghyun's fingers had trouble mastering the touch-screen, forcing him to press the same spot three or four times before he succeeded. The phone didn't ring for a long time. When the called person picked up, silence set in.

“Morning.”

“Morning, my ass. Don't you feel like explaining yourself, Kim Jonghyun?” As much as his voice sounded offended, Kibum wasn't pissed off.

Jonghyun kicked into the snow a few times as he walked. “Later. My hands are freezing, so I'll be hanging up. Can you sneak out right now?”

“If you give me your undoubtedly brilliant plan you used to sneak out, then sure.”

“Uhm, go down the stairs, walk into the street and make it fast so that no one noticed you through the window?”

Grimacing at the wall in front of him, Kibum followed the way out. “Brilliant, just as I suspected. Where are you?”

That had Jonghyun stop and turn around the spot. There was still the river, but Charles's Bridge was already far behind him. “By the river. Trams go around here too.”

The stairs weren't a problem, they didn't make any noise and the professors' rooms were around the corner anyway. But he had to be fast after entering the street, because all of the windows were situated on this side. “River, trams... I bet there are boats on the river and lots of seagulls around.”

“Yup, exactly. Oh and there's this old building with golden on top behind me too.”

He hated running, but this time there was no other choice. Resting behind the corner, Kibum's breath slowly became regular again. “That's a national theater, you dunce. We were there yesterday.”

“Oh now that you mention it, you're probably right.”

“Of course I am. Stay there then, okay?”

 

There were way too many people strolling through the streets that he was trying to race through. He got lost in the crooked narrow streets a few times and he blamed it onto the crowds that were driving him crazy. They reminded him of Seoul, a city he hated too much for his own good.

Kibum sighed. Being in such a rush, desperately wanting to stand next to Jonghyun already, and yet he was remembering things that should have stayed behind. When Jonghyun said going to Europe would make them forget about their problems for a while, he believed him. No, he wanted to believe. Deep inside he knew it's not resting nor running away. It's just prolonging the preparation for all the stress and anxiety to take over their lives.

“We'll figure it out somehow,” his mother would say every time a problem appeared. But she would never keep to her words. Nothing would get figured out and Kibum gradually started to hate that sentence, just like his mother. Whole life she was used to be just a useless housewife, possessing only a talent for leading their house to perfection. When his father left them, she didn't find a job. Money disappears faster then you can imagine, even if there's a lot of it. And it won't get figured out on its own.

Kibum staggered out of the streets and the riverbank opened up in front of him. With Charles's Bridge behind he could already see the theater a bit further ahead. And after a few minutes of walking he spotted a certain midget's back as well.

“Do you know how worried you made me?” Kibum almost screamed at him, eyes dangerously narrowed, arms crossed. “You didn't even take anything with you. I bet you're not even dressed enough for this weather.”

“Are you my mom or something?” Jonghyun retorted.

“Thanks god I'm not, I would go crazy for good if I was,” the younger one responded. “Just look at how much of a troublemaker you are.”

Jonghyun made a face at him, wrinkling nose and eyebrows. “You're so strait-laced it hurts. It's not like I've ran away for good, I just needed some time for myself.”

“If I was that responsible I would've told the professors and not sneak out myself.”

“I know.” Jonghyun tilted his head and closed the space between them, laying his frozen lips onto the much more warmer Kibum's. “You're so warm. Lemme warm up a bit.” He wrapped hands around the other boy's thin waist and snugged face into his furry muffler.

Kibum softly tried to shove him aside. “Don't, you'll make me cold too.” The smaller boy's body really was cold, shaking a bit. Instead of feeling colder thanks to that icicle pressed against him, Kibum's chest flared up. Holding what's most important to him like this made him believe he's never going to lose it. If he only holds tight enough, no one can separate them.

“Let's go somewhere warm,” Jonghyun suggested, pulling away with a smile playing upon his face.

Searching for a coffee shop or something of that sort would mean staying outside longer and so Kibum followed the older boy that suddenly grabbed his hand and ran toward a tram on the station. They had no idea where will it take them, but that made it more exciting.

“Which one?” Kibum looked at the station list attached onto the tram's window.

Jonghyun viewed the strange names and pointed somewhere around the middle. “This one sounds nice.”

“Andel? What does it mean?”

“I don't know. But it's not as long as all of the others,” admitted Jonghyun.

Looking at the city through the tram's windows wasn't bad at all either and it was considerably more comfortable. It would have been a perfect sightseeing tour if not for that unfortunate event. None of them thought of buying tickets for public transport and because there wasn't anyone checking, they didn't have a reason to do so. Until a pair of ticket inspectors came up to them.

Kibum looked daggers at Jonghyun, as if it was his fault. He tried to explain that they are foreigners, while the older boy contributed with his constrained smile. Kibum wondered if he even understands the situation they have fallen into, considering his non-existent English skills.

“You'll need to go to the police station with us then,” was the conclusion after all the effort of apologizing and explaining.

His sharp eyes watched the tram slowing down in front of a station and in a split of a second, Kibum acted. “We'll run,” he declared, subconsciously seeking out Jonghyun's hand. When the tram finally stopped and the door opened, the two of them literally jumped out. Jonghyun's heart skipped a beat when one of the inspectors managed to catch his jacket. But the grip wasn't strong enough and the boys were already dashing out through the street, firmly holding hands.

 

“Rest and forget about our problems, mission accomplished.” Kibum sipped the hot coffee, careful not to burn himself. Although they already calmed down, their hearts were still beating fast and lips stretched in smiles.

At some times Kim Kibum wondered what was so special about this boy. In the beginning he thought it was their similar problems that connected them. They were both living in recently split families and both finishing high school while trying to stay sane. Later the older boy's adorable smiles and mood swings that could be both cute and frustrating added to it. Now however, Kibum believed it's mostly the fact that whatever happens while they are side by side, it's never as terrible as if he would be on his own or with someone else.

The special boy watched him as Kibum's expression gave away that he's being absent-minded. “What if we stay here?”

Interrupted in his thoughts, Kibum shook his head. “No more plays. You and I both know we have to get back and face the challenges that awaits us.”

“Yeah,” Jonghyun examined his hands holding the plastic cup. “But can we continue to play until that time comes? Pretend that we're living here, in completely different world with completely different families and no problems at all.”

“That's childish, Jonghyun.”

Kibum had to face an absolute attack of the most childish puppy eyes he's ever seen on his boyfriend's face. It made him choke on his coffee a bit, coughing and smiling at the same time. He let out a little sigh, not really a tired one nor that of a relief. Just one that expressed how much he loves this boy, or so it seemed to be like to Kibum.

“So you're living around here while I live on the other side of the city. But I always come to you, no matter how long it takes. This is our favourite coffee shop, because you're working here part-time and can get a discount.”

“Your family isn't rich, so you like discounts, don't you? But your family still supports you to fulfill your dreams, just like mine.”

“We're both openly dating and our families don't mind at all.” Kibum's eyes got teary, reflecting those that were looking at him. “We might even get married, because it's allowed here y'know. I read about it, it's called registered partnership.”

“Stop it, Bum-ah. I'm just imagining you in a girl wedding dress.”

Their sobs slowly turned into giggling, but their eyes remained wet. For them it was a play, a fairy-tale they were telling each other before returning to reality. It was running away for a really short while, together, holding hands. It was rather running back then forward, but life always heads into the future, so why not stop and walk backwards from time to time.


End file.
